to top / to garnish
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to top
To surpass something, to be better or greater than something else. To beat a performance or a result.
Die Besucherzahlen dieses Jahr konnten das Ergebnis vom Vorjahr noch einmal toppen.
The visitor numbers this year were able to top last year's result once again.
The verb 'toppen' (to top) is a loanword from English ('to top'). It was adopted into German and is conjugated like a regular German verb: ich toppe, du toppst, er hat getoppt.
Niemand hat seine Leistung bisher getoppt.
No one has topped his performance so far.
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'toppen' (to top / to garnish) from the context. If it is about records, numbers, or achievements, it means 'übertreffen' (to surpass). In connection with food and cooking, it means 'garnieren' (to garnish). In texts about seafaring, it has a very specific technical meaning.
Das kann man kaum noch toppen!
That can hardly be topped!
In the meaning 'übertreffen' (to surpass), 'toppen' (to top) is often used with abstract nouns. Typical combinations are 'ein Ergebnis toppen' (to top a result), 'einen Rekord toppen' (to top a record), or 'eine Leistung toppen' (to top a performance).
Mit ihrem neuen Album konnte die Band den Erfolg des letzten noch toppen.
With their new album, the band was able to top the success of the last one.
When 'toppen' means 'garnieren' (to garnish), the additional ingredient, the topping, is introduced with the preposition 'mit' (with). The pattern is: [food] mit [ingredient] toppen.
Die Suppe wird zum Schluss mit frischen Kräutern getoppt.
The soup is garnished with fresh herbs at the end.
This meaning of 'toppen' (to top) is purely technical seafaring language. You will very likely never encounter it in normal everyday life unless you read a specialist book about ships.
Der Matrose lernte, wie man den Ladebaum korrekt toppt.
The sailor learned how to top the loading boom correctly.
to hit / beat
'schlagen' and 'toppen' both have to do with a better result. 'schlagen' is used when there is a direct opponent, for example in a game or competition. 'toppen' more often means to surpass a performance, number, or result. There does not have to be a direct opponent. The words can be confused because in both cases someone or something is better. When two teams are playing against each other, 'schlagen' fits. When a new record is better than the old one, 'toppen' fits better.
Dieses Ergebnis wird schwer zu toppen sein.
This result will be hard to top.
Im letzten Spiel hat Omar seinen Bruder zum ersten Mal geschlagen.
In the last game, Omar beat his brother for the first time.